Friday 30 October 2015 17:17, UK
Ronny Deila has hit out at the negativity surrounding Celtic despite his side boasting a four-point lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership table.
The press in Scotland were predicting a full blown crisis at Parkhead, with the Norwegian likely to pay with his job, after Celtic lost 3-1 to Molde in the group stages of the Europa League last Thursday.
Hoops midfielder Kris Commons reacted furiously to being substituted towards the end of that match and made his feelings known to the club's coaching staff, and the mood around the camp was not enhanced when team-mates Emilio Izaguirre and Nadir Ciftci clashed on the training ground a few days later.
The spat left the former requiring stitches to an ear wound, but Deila brushed off the incident claiming "it happens all the time", while insisting both would be available for the Scottish League Cup quarter-final against Hearts in midweek.
Goals from Leigh Griffiths and Tom Rogic secured a 2-1 victory for the holders at Tynecastle in that game, but Deila woke to be greeted with headlines claiming 'winning the treble in Scotland would not be considered a success'.
Addressing the media ahead of the top-of-the-table clash against Aberdeen on Saturday, the Celtic manager said 'jealousy' was behind the negative comments aimed at him and his players.
"Celtic have been unbelievably successful for many years now and everybody around Celtic wants to hurt us and find negative things," he said. "That is something the club has to cope with all the time.
"So it is important that we stay together. We are Celtic fans and we have to be proud of what we have achieved. Four titles in a row and we won the League Cup last year. The club has been in Europe many, many years and they are the pride of Scotland in Europe.
"There are so many positive things happening around us and whatever anyone is coming out and saying about Celtic to put pressure on us, because everybody wants to beat us, doesn't affect me... it motivates me."
And Deila, who won the League and League Cup in his first season after replacing former manager Neil Lennon in the summer of 2014, is keen to leave a legacy at the club when his time in charge ends.
"I know when I am finished here, whether it is in 10 years or two years, it will be about what you have won, what you have achieved and I want to win trophies for this club. I want to develop a style of play that people are proud of and I want to see players who develop and love to be on the pitch at Celtic Park.
"Whatever other people are talking about, people who have never been in Celtic, I couldn't care less. I know where this club wants to go. We are a big club but we are a selling club. The situation has totally changed now and when you are successful then it's hard to keep it going."
You must understand that at this club they do almost everything perfect
Deila also compared the reaction to Rangers' recent 3-1 home defeat to St Johnstone in the League Cup to the inquests which greet any reverse suffered by his own side.
"Where are Rangers now? They're in the Championship. When they lost against St Johnstone everything was ok. If that was 10 years ago, do you think it would be the same? But when we lose one game then everything turns around against us. Of course we are disappointed by we have to keep calm.
"I see players who want to win for Celtic. I see players in that squad who have won so many trophies that a lot of the people who are talking about them are not even close to. People can talk, but we have to do it. I am lucky because I have an opportunity to do it. Others can say and watch and they can work in the media but I want to work in football."
Asked if the recent negative comments towards him, and his team, were down to jealousy, he said: "Of course, of course. It is a machinery. How can you stop it, it is growing and growing.
"But you must understand that at this club they do almost everything perfect. The economy is unbelievable and the club is driven in a fantastic way. We don't use money that we don't have. When you build things you have to be patient but we are winning at the same time as well... winning and winning and winning.
"That is something all we Celtic people have to be unbelievably proud of. It's hard for other people to see, the positive things about Celtic, and they have to find something negative as negative things sells well."
After the news conference Sky Sports News reporter Charles Paterson caught up with Deila at the club's Lennoxtown training complex.
Hit the video link to hear him speak of Saturday's game against Aberdeen, the reaction of his players to the recent events surrounding the club and the prospects of skipper Scott Brown facing a spell on the sidelines.
